Pre-release Review of 'A Philosophy of Ruin' by Nicholas Mancusi

Publication Date: 18 June 19

Oscar Boatwright is a philosophy professor, struggling with the belief that God does indeed exist. But when his mother dies suddenly on a flight from Hawaii to California, next to his father, Oscar finds himself thinking of her watching over him and re-considering, at least on some levels, the presence of God. In shock and grief, Oscar becomes involved with one of his students. A sexual dynamo who soon leads him, somewhat less than willingly, down a very dangerous road of drug running. Oscar finds himself surprised at his lack of fear for the most part, and his daring in the face of danger in others.......sides of himself he was not aware of prior to his mother's passing. One thing that he knows for certain is that he must find the shyster that bilked his parents out of their life's savings, Paul St. Germaine, in whom his mother had placed all of her trust (and money) in prior to her death in the hope that she would be cleared of her life-long depression. The buttoned-down Oscar finds himself far outside of his normal limits as his hatred for St. Germaine and longing for revenge as well as understanding of his mother's motives, as well as his continued involvement far out of his league with drug runners and would-be dealers, leads him to unexpected and surprising events and endings. Excellent book!